Warts
“My daughter, almost 10 years old, had been using the cream twice a day for two weeks on her hands to clear up her warts. She is thrilled that they are flattening out and appear to be shrinking. For her, the cream has been a dream come true. It is so easy to use and the results are quick.” – Corium 21 customer
See more of our customer testimonials…
What Causes Warts?
Warts are a type of infection caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses.
Warts can grow on all parts of your body. They can grow on your skin, on the inside of your mouth, on your genitals and on your rectal area.
Common types of HPV tend to cause warts on the skin (such as the hands and fingers), while other HPV types tend to cause warts on the genitals and rectal area.
Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses and don’t seem to get warts as easily as other people.
Can warts be passed from one person to another person?
Yes, warts on the skin may be passed to another person when that person touches the warts. It is also possible to get warts from using towels or other objects that were used by a person who has warts.
Warts on the genitals are very contagious and can be passed to another person during oral, vaginal or anal sex. It is important not to have unprotected sex if you or your partner has warts on the genital area. In women, warts can grow on the cervix (inside the vagina), and a woman may not even know she has them. She may pass the infection to her sexual partner without knowing it. A regular check-up is recommended to help avoid this.
How to Deal With Warts?
First of all, it’s important to know that warts on the skin (such as on the fingers, feet, and knees) and warts on the genitals are removed in different ways. Don’t try any home remedies or over-the-counter drugs to remove warts on the genital area. You could hurt your genital area by putting certain chemicals on it. You also shouldn’t try to do anything about warts on your face without talking to your doctor first. The following are some ways to remove common warts from the skin:
Applying salicylic acid. You can generally get rid of warts on places such as the hands, feet or knees by putting salicylic acid (one brand name: Compound W) on warts. To get good results, you must apply the acid every day for many weeks.
After you take a bath or shower, pat your skin dry lightly with a towel. Then put salicylic acid on your warts. The acid sinks in deeper and works better when it is applied to damp skin. Before you take a shower or a bath the next day, use an emery board or pumice stone to file away the dead surface of warts.
Applying cantharidin. Your doctor may use cantharidin on your warts. With this treatment, the doctor “paints” the chemical onto the wart. Most people don’t feel any pain when the chemical is applied to the wart. You’ll experience some pain and blistering of the wart in about 3 to 8 hours.
When you see your doctor again, he or she will remove the dead skin of the wart. If the wart isn’t gone after one treatment, your doctor may suggest another treatment.
Applying liquid nitrogen. Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. This medical treatment is called cryotherapy. Applying liquid nitrogen to the wart causes a little discomfort. To completely remove a wart, additional treatments may be required. If no improvement is noted, your doctor may recommend another type of treatment.
Other medical treatments for warts on the skin. Your doctor can also remove warts on the skin by burning the wart, cutting out the wart or removing the wart with a laser. These treatments are effective but they may leave a scar. They are normally reserved for warts that have not cleared up with other medical treatments.
Read more about: